Père Lachaise Cemetery Map and Resources
January 21, 2018 by Carolyn Campbell
Legendary filmmaker Georges Méliès (December 8, 1861–January 21, 1938) said shortly before he passed away on this day, and after he had drawn a champagne bottle with the cork popped and bubbling over and shown it to his friends: “Laugh, my friends. Laugh with me, laugh for me, because I dream your dreams.”
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December 29, 2017 by Carolyn Campbell
French artist Jacques-Louis David (August 30, 1748–December 29, 1825) died on this day at age 77 in Brussels, Belgium. Considered the preeminent painter of his time and best known for his Neoclassical style, he was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1774; was elected to the Académie Royale in 1784; was made a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 1803; promoted to Officier in 1808; and in 1815 he was promoted to Commandant (now Commandeur) de la Légion d’honneur.
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November 30, 2017 by Carolyn Campbell
(October 16, 1854–November 30, 1900)
Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde died this day November 30, 1900 at age 46 in Paris, France. The tomb of this brilliant essayist, eminent playwright, poet, and society wit in Père Lachaise Cemetery was designed by American sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein. Throughout the 1990s, the tomb became covered in lipstick kisses that were slowly destroying the porous limestone with each cleaning. The French and Irish governments came together and created a fund to restore the tomb, which is now behind a protective Plexiglas casing.
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November 24, 2017 by Carolyn Campbell
Many thanks to Genie Davis for this gracious review in Art and Cake. https://artandcakela.com/
Los Angeles-based artist and writer Carolyn Campbell is paying tribute to the City of Immortals, the massive and visually astonishing Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
Launched on November 2nd in time for All Souls Day, Campbell’s project is two-fold: an extensive, beautifully rendered online tribute to the cemetery, and a detailed, print map that features three tours including the resting places of the most celebrated spirits in the park. Both the writing and photography are hers.
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November 2, 2017 by Carolyn Campbell
No time of the year seems more fitting to launch an inaugural blog about the most famous necropolis in the world than on All Souls Day, November 2.
Autumn marks a significant transformation in nature that echoes a similar transition occurring in the cemetery. The green, red, yellow, and orange foliage from thousands of trees in Père Lachaise (including maple, acacia, beech, ash lemon, and chestnut) signals the end of a growth period and a new season of hibernation and sleep.
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